Cartridge ramming device for introducing cartridges into the cartridgechamber of the barrel of a gun



March 1966 c. M. CHRISTIANSSON 3,

CARTRIDGE RAMMING DEVICE FOR INTRODUCING CARTRIDGES INTO THE CARTRIDGE-CHAMBER OF THE BARREL OF A GUN Filed Nov. 50, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR CARL MAUR/TZ CHKIST/ANSSCW March 1966 c. M. CHRISTIANSSON 3,

CARTRIDGE RAMMING DEVICE FOR INTRODUCING CARTRIDGES INTO THE CARTRIDGE-CHAMBER OF THE BARREL OF A GUN Filed Nov. 30, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

CARL MAUE/TZ CHR/SUANSSON A r ram/57's United States Patent 3,242,815 I CARTRIDGE RAMMING DEVICE FOR INTRO- DUCING CARTRIDGES INTG THE (JARTRIBGE- CHAMBER OF THE BARREL OF A GUN Carl Mauritz Christiansson, Bofors, Sweden, assignor to Akticholaget Bofors, Bofors, Sweden, a corporation of Sweden Filed Nov. 30, 1964, Ser. No. 414,751 Claims priority, application Sweden, Nov. 28, 1963, 13,172/ 63 3 Claims. (CI. 8947) This invention relates to a cartridge ramming device for introducing cartridges into the cartridge-chamber of the barrel of a gun, in particular an automatic gun.

The period of time required between the firing of two successive shots of an automatic gun is greatly dependent on the rapidity with which a cartridge can be discharged after having been introduced into the cartridge-chamber. With cartridge ramming devices in which the empty shell casing ejected backwards after firing follows the same way back as the cartridge has previously been brought forward by means of components of the ramming device cooperating with the bottom of the cartridge casing for bringing forward the cartridge during ramming, and which thus extends, during ramming, into the path thereafter to be followed by an ejected casing, it is essential that the firing does not take place before the path for the ejected shell casing to follow has been cleared from the component of the ramming device extending into this path during ramming.

Usually, in cartridge ramming devices of the kind described and thus having a component, a rammer detent, which during ramming cooperates with the bottom surface of a cartridge casing to bring the cartridge forward, this component is arranged so as to be brought into a position in which it is located out of the way of a shell casing ejected backwards after firing past the ramming device when the ramming device returns back to its rearmost position, that is, the start position thereof for a successive ramming movement. Consequently, the discharge of a cartridge can not be allowed to proceed before the ramming device has returned to its start position for a ramming movement, a certain period of time thus getting lost between the accomplishment of the ramming by introduction of the cartridge into the cartridge-chamber and the return of the ramming device to its start position.

One object of the invention is to provide a cartridge ramming device in which the component thereof actuating the cartridge bottom during ramming and constituting a rammer detent which is pivotally attached to a reciprocating rammer member is brought out of the way of a rearwardly ejected empty casing already during an early part of the return movement of said reciprocating rammer member after ramming.

A further object of the invention is to provide a ramming device of the kind described in which said pivotal rammer detent is brought into position for ramming a following cartridge by being swung into its active position for ramming in dependence of a shell casing ejected backwardly past the ramming device after firing.

By this arrangement, the successive discharges of cartridges can take place at intervals, the minimum extent of which is being determined exclusively by the period of time required for a forward and backward stroke of the ram-mer. The discharge of a cartridge can take place without any substantial loss of time after ramming, and the empty shell casing ejected and pass past the ramming device without obstruction while the rammer is moving back towards the start position for a following ramming.

With this purpose in view the invention relates to a ramming device comprising a reciprocating rammer member which is movable between a front end position and Patented Mar. 29, 1966 a rear end position along a cartridge-guide means defining a path of a cartridge moving along the guide for pushing forward a cartridge to the cartridge-chamber of a gun during a forward stroke, said rammer member carrying a rammer detent which is pivotally attached to said rammer member and pivotal between an active position for cooperation with a cartridge for bringing forward the cartridge during a forward stroke of said rammer member, and an inactive position in which it is swung out of the way of a cartridge moving along the cartridge-guide, a directional force means being present to yieldingly ring the rammer detent to its active position. According to the invention a ramming device of this kind comprises a pivotal rammer detent actuating means which is, as described below, cooperant with the rammer detent and pivotal about an axis extending perpendicularly to the direction of movement of the rammer member. The rammer detent actuating means comprises a rotatable cam member and the rammer detent comprises a lever cooperative with said cam member to swing the rammer detent between the active position and the inactive position thereof. The cam member has to this end a portion so dimensioned that in a first position of the detent actuating means the rammer detent is caused to move into its active position for ramming by influence of said directional force, and a portion so dimensioned that in a second position of the detent actuating means the rammer detent is held in the inactive position thereof against the action of said directional force. Further, the detent actuating means comprises a cam rocking lever which is pivotal together with the cam member to move the detent actuating means between said two positions and which is, for this purpose, cooperative with an abutment member located beside the path of the rammer member carrying the rammer detent as well as beside the path of a cartridge along the cartridge-guide means. The cam rocking lever and the abutment member :cooperant therewith are mutually so arranged, with the abutment member in the path of the rocking lever during the forward and backward movement thereof together with the reciprocating rammer member, that the rocking lever in a first position in which the cam member is turned into a position so as to allow the rammer detent to move into its said active position can pass past the abutment member during a forward movement of said rammer member. When the rocking lever passes the abutment member the detent actuating means is being articulated an angle out of said first position, however, an angle less than that required for bringing the rammer detent out of its active position. This articulating proceeds against the action of a directional force tending to bring back the rocking lever into its said first position after having passed the abutment member. The cam rocking lever and the abutment are further so arranged, that in this first position of the detent actuating means the rocking lever is, during a return movement of the rammer following on its forward movement, being caught by the abutment member so as to articulate the detent actuating means into said second position, in which position the cam member thereof actuates the rammer detent to hold in its inactive position.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention and in order to bring back the rammer detent into its active position as soon as is possible after the empty casing ejected backwards has passed the ramming device, the rammer detent actuating means comprises a member extending into the path of a rearwardly ejected casing in said second position of the rammer detent actuating means to swing said means from its said second position into its first position when said member is being actuated by a cartridge rearwardly ejected along the cartridge-guide.

By suitably selecting the location of the rocking lever on the reciprocating rammer member and the stationary abutment member cooperant therewith so that the stationary abutment member is being entirely passed by the rocking lever shortly before the reciprocating rammer member has reached its front position during a ramming motion, the rammer detent will be swung out of its active position for ramming already at the very beginning of or in any case at a sufhciently early point of time during the following return movement of the rammer by the rocking lever, during its return movement, striking against the abutment member and articulating the detent actuating means as a whole into said second position in which the cam member thereof holds the rammer detent in its inactive position.

The actuating member of the detent actuating means arranged to cooperate with a shell casing ejected rearwardly to bring back the detent actuating means into its said first position may be the rocking lever itself, or an .arm extending therefrom, the parts being so dimensioned, that the rocking lever or the arm extending therefrom, respectively, is swung into the path followed by a shell casing when ejected rearwardly after firing.

The invention will be further illustrated by the following description of a preferred embodiment thereof as shown in the accompanying drawings, in which FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a cartridge rammer of an automatic gun having a reciprocating rammer member and a device according to the invention in a preferred embodiment,

FIG. 2 is a vie of said reciprocating rammer member illustrating the device according to the invention more in detail,

FIGS. 35 are schematic views illustrating the function of a device according to the invention,

FIG. 3 showing components of the device according to the invention during a forward motion of the reciprocating rammer member actuating a cartridge during ramming,

IG. 4 showing the same components during a return movement of the reciprocating rammer member, and

FIG. 5 showing the same components during the ejection of a casing of a cartridge previously discharged.

In FIG. 1 the device according to the invention is illustrated in combination with a cartridge rammer comprising a pivotal rammer detent member 1 carried by a reciprocating rammer member arranged as a carriage 2 which is movable back and forth on rollers 3 in guide grooves 4 of a further reciprocating rammer member 8. Rammer member 8 is, in its turn, movable back and forth in guide grooves 6 located in .a gun component 7 which is stationary in relation to gun barrel during ramming. A rammer motor 5, illustrated as being a piston motor, engages the rammer member 3 for applying a reciprocating motion thereto. The rammer carriage 2 has a lug 11 which is connected to one part of an endless traction chain running in a loop over pulleys 9 carried by rammer member 8, the other part of the traction chain 10 being secured to a lug 12 attached to the stationary part 7. With this arrangement carriage 2 and detent member 1 with it will be moving in relation to the stationary part 7 during forward and backward strokes of ramming member 8 at a speed which is twice the speed of ramming member 8, the total travel in relation to the stationary part 7 of the carriage 2 thus being twice the travel of rammer member 8.

Carriage 2 and the device according to the invention combined therewith for actuating the rammer detent member 1 are further illustrated in FIG. 2. The rammer detent member 1 is pivotal about a pivot 15 which also carries front rollers 3 of the carriage 2. The rammer detent member 1 constitutes a lever, a front arm 16 of which constituting the rammer detent proper. Between the rammer detent member and a framing 17 of rammer carriage 2 a spring means 18 is arranged so as to exert a directional force yieldingly forcing the rammer detent into its active position for ramming. The rammer detent member 1 further comprises a second arm 19 which is cooperant with a rammer detent actuating means according to the invention for articulating the rammer detent from an active position thereof for ramming in which position front arm 16 of the rammer detent member 1 is cooperant with a cartridge which lies in a cartridgeguide, not illustrated, extending along the path of motion of the rammer, and into a position in which said front arm 16 of the rammer detent member is swung into an inactive position out of the path of an empty casing ejected backwards through the cartridge-guide after firing.

As illustrated, the detent actuating means according to the invention comprises a cam member secured to a pivot shaft 21 bearing in the carriage framing 17. This cam member 20 has a portion so dimensioned that the cam member, in one position thereof, allows the rammer detent member to occupy its active position for ramming by the arm 19 thereof abutting against an abutment surface 22 of cam member 20 by action of spring 18. Cam member 20 further comprises a cam portion 23 having a radius such that rammer detent member 1 for a rotation of pivot 21 can be brought into its said inactive position by cam 23 actuating the detent member arm 19.

Pivot 21, the axis of which extends parallel to the axis of pivot 15 carrying the rammer detent member, has a rocker lever 24 attached to it, the rocker lever 24 and the cam member 20 being rotatable as a unit about the pivot axis. In the position of cam member 26 in which the abutment surface 22 thereof co-operates with lever w of rammer detent member 1 so as to hold the rammer detent portion thereof in active position by action of spring 17, the rocker lever 24 extends backwardly-inwardly relative to the direction of movement of the rammer carriage during ramming. A portion of lever 24 has a length such that a front slide surface 25 thereof is co-operative with an abutment member, a rocker lever actuating lug 29, located aside the path of the rammer carriage during its reciprocating movement. As illustrated, lug 29 constitutes a part of the reciprocating rammer member 8, FIG. 1. FIG. 2 illustrates the location of the rammer detent member 1 and the detent actuating means comprising the cam member 20 and the rocker lever 24 occupied during a forward motion of the carriage 2 as long as the lug 29 does not actuate rocking lever 24. The detent actuating means is held in this position by the arm 19 of rammer detent member 1 abutting against the abutment surface 22 of the cam member 20 by action of spring 18. Further, the lug 29 constituting the abutment member for actuating rocker lever 24 is located on rammer member 8 in a position such that the edge 27 of rocking lever 24 passes past the lug before the rammer carriage 2 has reached its front end position during ramming. After having slided past the lug with its front slide surface 25 and the edge 27 during a forward motion of the carriage 2, the rocker lever 24, and the rammer detent actuating means as a whole with it, returns to the position in relation to carriage 2 occupied prior to the actuation thereof by lug 29 by action of spring 18, and cooperation between abutment surface 22 of the cam member and arm 19 of the rammer detent member 1. The articulation to which cam member 2% is being exposed during this movement of the carriage is not suflicient for the cam member 20 to swing the rammer detent member 1 out of active position for ramming. After having passed past lug 29 during the forward motion of the carriage the edge 27 occupies a position in which this edge, during a following rearward motion of the carriage engages the lug, the rocker lever 24 then being articulated into a position in which cam 23 of cam member 20 holds the rammer detent member in its inactive position out of the way of a cartridge casing.

FiGS. 3-5 illustrate difierent phases in the lapse of events for bringing over the rammer detent. member be:-

tween the active and inactive positions thereof. FIG. 3 schematically shows the rammer carriage 2 during ramming, moving in the direction indicated by arrow 31 and having arm 16 of the rammer detent member abutting against the bottom of the casing of a cartridge 32. Carriage 2 is shown in a position in which the front slide surface 25 of rocking lever 24 is sliding via lug 29, and at a moment at which the edge 27 the rocking lever contacts the upper surface of the lug and the rocking lever has been tilted a small angle in the direction indicated by arrow 30. Cam member 20 is, however, not actuated to such an extent as to be brought out of catch with the cartridge. When moving further forward with the rammer, edge 27 will slide past lug 29 and return to its previous position illustrated in FIG. 2.

When,--after the ramming has been completed and the rammer carriage is returning in the direction illustrated by arrow 33 in FIG. 4, lug 29 will actuate the rearmost surface 26 of the rocker lever 24, the rocker lever being articulated by action of lug 29 in the direction illustrated by arrow 34 into the position illustrated in FIG. 4, the edge 27 thereof during this movement sliding above lug 29. Cam Imember 20 is thus brought into the position illustrated in FIG. 4, actuating the rammer detent member 1 so as to swing the arm 16 thereof in the direction indicated by arrow 35, into an inactive position for ramming. In this position of the rammer detent actuating means 2048, the cam member 20 has been rotated so far that the rammer detent actuating means as a whole will remain in this position, for instance by abutting against a stop, not illustrated, preventing further rotation in the direction of arrow 34 and held in the position illustrated in FIG. 4 by action of a force exerted by spring 18.

During the articulation of the rocking lever into the position illustrated in FIG. 4 during the return movement of the carriage, the extension 28 thereof will be brought into a position in which it extends into the path of a casing ejected after firing. FIG. 5 shows an empty casing moving backwardly after ejection in the direction illustrated by arrow 36, taking the rocking lever 24 and the cam member 20 with it, while articulating said two parts in the direction illustrated by arrow 37, the rammer detent member 1 thus returning into its active position for ramming, FIG. 2.

While the invention has been describd in detail with respect to certain now preferred examples and embodiments of the invention, it will be understood by those skilled in the art, after understanding thereof, that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, and it is intended, therefore, to cover all such changes and modifications in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A cartridge ramming device for introducing cartridges into the cartridge-chamber of the barrel of a gun, in particular an automatic gun, including a reciprocating cartridge rammer member comprising a rammer detent arranged to 'co-operate with the shell bottom of a cartridge to be ram-med and to move forward and backward between a rear end position and a front end position lengthwise of a cartridge-guide means located rearwardly of the cartridge-chamber of the gun barrel, said rammer detent being pivotally attached to said reciprocating rammer member and pivotal between an active position for co-operation with a cartridge for bringing forward the cartridge during a forward stroke of the rammer member, and an inactive position in which it is swung out of the way of a cartridge moving along said cartridgeguide means, a directional force means being present to yieldingly bring the rammer detent to its active position, said ramming device further comprising a pivotal rammer detent actuating means co-operant with said rammer detent and pivotal about an axis extending perpendicularly to the direction of movement of the reciprocating rammer member, said rammer detent actuating means comprising a rotatable cam member and said rammer detent comprising a lever co-operative with said cam member to swing the rammer detent between said active position and said inactive position thereof, the cam member having a portion so dimensioned that in a first position of the detent actuating means the rammer detent is allowed to move to its active position for ramming by influence of said directional force, and a portion so dimensioned that in a second position of the detent actuating means the rammer detent is held in said inactive position irrespective of the action of said directional force, the detent actuating means further comprising a cam rocking lever which is pivotal together with the cam.

member to move the detent actuating means between said two positions, and which is co-operative with an abutment member located sideways of the path of the rammer member and the rammer detent and sideways of the path of a cartridge along the cartridge-guide means, the cam rocking lever and the abutment member cooperant therewith being mutually so arranged with the abutment member in the path of the rocking lever during the forward and backward movements thereof together with the reciprocating rammer member that the rocking lever in a first position thereof in which the cam member is in a position to allow the rammer detent to move to its said active position can pass past the abutment member during a forward movement of said rammer member while being articulated an angle out of said first position of the rocking lever less than that required for actuating the cam member to move the rammer detent out of its said active position against the action of a directional force means tending to bring back the rocking lever into its said first position, the cam rocking lever and the abutment member further being mutually so arranged, that in said first position of the detent actuating means the rocking lever is being caught by the abutment member during a return movement of the rammer following on its forward movement and articulated into a second position thereof taking the detent actuating means with it into said second position of the detent actuating means in which said cam member actuates the rammer detent to hold it in its inactive position.

2. A cartridge ramming device according to claim 1, wherein the rammer detent actuating means comprises a pivotal member which is co-operative with said cam member and of which a portion in said second position of the rammer detent actuating means extends into the space defined by the path of a cartridge casing moving rearwardly along the cartridge-guide means, said pivotal member being arranged to rotate the cam member to the position thereof in which the detent actuating means is allowed to return from said second position to said first position thereof when said portion of said member is moved rearwardly when actuated by a cartridge casing rearwardly ejected along the cartridge-guide means,

3. A cartridge ramming device according to claim 2, said pivotal member constituting an elongated portion of said cam rocking lever, this elongated portion being arranged and dimensioned so as to extend into said space defined by the path of a cartridge casing moving rearwardly along the cartridge-guide means in said second position of the rammer detent actuating means.

No references cited.

BENJAMIN A. BORCHELT, Primary Examiner.

F. C. MATTERN, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A CARTRIDGE RAMMING DEVICE FOR INTRODUCING CARTRIDGES INTO THE CARTRIDGE-CHAMBER OF THE BARREL OF A GUN, IN PARTICULAR AN AUTOMATIC GUN, INCLUDING A RECIPROCATING CARTRIDGE RAMMER MEMBER COMPRISING A RAMMER DETENT ARRANGED TO CO-OPERATE WITH THE SHELL BOTTOM OF A CARTRIDGE TO BE RAMMED AND TO MOVE FORWARD AND BACKWARD BETWEEN A REAR END POSITION AND A FRONT END POSITION LENGTHWISE OF A CARTRIDGE-GUIDE MEANS LOCATED REARWARDLY OF THE CARTRIDGE-CHAMBER OF THE GUN BARREL, SAID RAMMER DETENT BEING PIVOTALLY ATTACHED TO SAID RECIPROCATING RAMMER MEMBER AND PIVOTAL BETWEEN AN ACTIVE POSITION FOR CO-OPERATION WITH A CARTRIDGE FOR BRINGING FORWARD THE CARTRIDGE DURING A FORWARD STROKE OF THE RAMMER MEMBER, AND AN INACTIVE POSITION IN WHICH IT IS SWUNG OUT OF THE WAY OF A CARTRIDGE MOVING ALONG SAID CARTRIDGEGUIDE MEANS, A DIRECTIONAL FORCE MEANS BEING PRESENT TO YIELDINGLY BRING THE RAMMER DETENT TO ITS ACTIVE POSITION, SAID RAMMING DEVICE FURTHER COMPRISING A PIVOTAL RAMMER DETENT ACTUATING MEANS CO-OPERANT WITH SAID RAMMER DETENT AND PIVOTAL ABOUT AN AXIS EXTENDING PERPENDICULARLY TO THE DIRECTION OF MOVEMENT OF THE RECIPROCATING RAMMER MEMBER, SAID RAMMER DETENT ACTUATING MEANS COMPRISING A ROTATABLE CAM MEMBER AND SAID RAMMER DETENT COMPRISING A LEVER CO-OPERATIVE WITH SAID CAM MEMBER TO SWING THE RAMMER DETENT BETWEEN SAID ACTIVE POSITION AND SAID INACTIVE POSITION THEREOF, THE CAM MEMBER HAVING A PORTION SO DIMENSIONED THAT IN A FIRST POSITION OF THE DETENT ACTUATING MEANS THE RAMMER DETENT IS ALLOWED TO MOVE TO ITS ACTIVE POSITION FOR RAMMING BY INFLUENCE OF SAID DIRECTIONAL FORCE, AND A PORTION SO DI- 